Basket-brawl! Joe Biden's visit to China marred by mass fight at 'goodwill' exhibition game between U.S. and Chinese teams

A bench-clearing brawl at an exhibition game between American and Chinese basketball teams has marred U.S. Vice President Joe Biden's relationship-building visit to China.

The incredible fight between the Georgetown University men's basketball team and the Bayi Rockets forced the game on Thursday night in Beijing to end early.

Players exchanged blows, chairs were thrown and spectators tossed full water bottles as players and coaches headed to the locker room. Georgetown are in the country on a goodwill tour.

Scroll down for fight video

FIGHT! Players from American Georgetown University men's basketball team and China's Bayi men's basketball team today exchanged blows during a basketball friendly game at the Beijing Olympic Basketball Arena

Stamp: Joe Biden is in Beijing to improve relations between China and U.S. But these actions will do him no favours

Pow! Georgetown University and Bayi Rockets players throw punches and one American is given a rudimentary facelift

On Wednesday, Mr Biden watched the Georgetown Hoyas play another Chinese team. Mr Biden did not attend Thursday's game.

Georgetown head coach John Thompson III said in a statement: 'Tonight two great team played a very competitive game that unfortunately ended after heated exchanges with both teams.

'We sincerely regret that this situation occurred.'

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Mr Thompson pulled his players off the court with nine minutes 32 seconds left in the game and the scored tied at 64, the Washington Post reported, after a chaotic scene in which members of both teams began throwing punches and tackling one another.

Immediately before the fighting
began, Bayi forward-centre Hu Ke was called for a foul against
Georgetown’s Jason Clark, the Washington Post reported.

The senior guard took exception to the hard foul and said as much to Hu, triggering an exchange of shoves between the two.

Break it up boys: Team officials from the Georgetown bench try to calm the players down and separate the warring sides

Royal rumble: Players and coaching staff from both sides swarmed over the court as the scrap flared up

Rumble: The brawl was sparked by a very competitive game, according to the Georgetown coach

That sparked the bedlam which ensued as players from both benches ran onto the court.

Georgetown senior centre Henry Sims had a chair tossed at him by an unidentified person, and freshman forward Moses Ayegba, walked onto the court with a chair in his right hand.

According to Georgetown officials, Ayegba had been struck, prompting him to grab a chair in self-defence.

Fearful of reprisals from Chinese fans, members of the Georgetown staff were trying to find a police escort for the entire contingent, including alumni and supporters who attended the game as part of a 10-day tour of China.

But rather than wait, Mr Thompson told everyone to walk to the buses together.

HOW BIDEN'S DRAWN-OUT SPEECH SPARKED ANOTHER FIGHT

Vice President Joe Biden, known for his public-speaking stamina, sparked ANOTHER brawl in Beijing last night - this one between reporters and Chinese officials.

On his first full day in China, where Mr Biden is building relations, he was holding the first of two bilateral meetings with Chinese Vice President Xi Jingping.

American and Chinese press were allowed for the opening remarks.

But with the Vice President taking too long for his hosts' liking, the White House pool reports that a 'larger Chinese official' attempted to force the reporters out of the room, causing a fight.

'Stern shooing turned into forceful shoving,' reporter Michael Memoli wrote for the Los Angeles Times. 'As reporters tried to stand their ground, Chinese officials locked arms and pushed forward in a show of overwhelming force.'

And while the Vice President is renowned for his loquaciousness, on this occasion, according to Mr Memoli, he was nearly spot on time.

'Biden spoke only two or three minutes longer than Xi had, including the consecutive translation of his comments from English to Chinese,' Mr Memoli wrote.